It has been a loooong time since I've posted a "Scandinavia and the World" fanart. Too long. But with a brand new art program and a bit of experimentation, I threw this together!

Of course I had to return to Portugal for it. After all, I lived there for five years and fell in love with the Portuguese people and culture!

Meet Portugal , a nation renowned for his incredible contributions to the Age of Discovery. Such achievements included discovering the sea-route around the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), India, and later Brazil, as well as giving birth to some of the greatest explorers in human history. Such explorers include Bartolomeu Dias, Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan), Vasco da Gama, and Pedro Álvares Cabral. Not to be forgotten is Infante D. Henrique (Prince Henry the Navigator), who became a patron of Portuguese exploration.

Portugal also served as the hub of oceanic/exploratory training of other well known men, such as Christopher Columbus, who pitched his ideas to Portugal's João II before moving on to Spain.

At the peak of its power, the Portuguese empire spanned all around the world (Europe, South America, Africa, Asia) and was 1.6 times larger than the Roman empire. Sadly, when Portugal relinquished its colonies, its wealth diminished and has now become one of Europe's poorer nations. Though seemingly forgotten in the International world today, Portugal remains one of the most influencial and historical nations on Earth.

Most importantly, it houses a Portuguese people as warm as the vivid beaches their country is known for.

For my design, I chose a navigator-based look for his clothing that implements the colors and the coat-of-arms of Portugal. As for his actual features, he is very "Mediterranean" with a tan, dark-haired appearance. His long and tough history has given him a more rugged look and the ocean will forever be his home.

For all people who love history, warm climates, and fascinating culture, there are few places I can recommend more than this one. [link]

I lived in Portugal from when I was 7 until I was 12 years old, so Portugal was my childhood! It's been 9 years since I was there and I miss it a lot. Your country has such a friendly atmosphere to it (particularly to an American like me, who didn't get the same warm reception from many other European countries). I loved visiting the palace of Sintra, walking on the walls of Óbidos, seeing the history of Évora, and the many sights of Lisboa. The beaches of the Algarve and Cascais were also some of my favorite places to go.

If I'm less mistaken they ended that bad thanks to the Napoleonic wars, England blocked all the water access they had so the lost a lot .Man why I had to be so nerdy when comes to History and Geography?